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The big question for 2018 is whether last year's troubling trends for environment and development - rising global carbon emissions, multiple billion-dollar natural disasters, U.S. President Donald Trump's abandonment of climate action - will continue or turn in a more positive direction. As WRI President and CEO Andrew Steer noted during the Stories to Watch event in Washington on January 10, 2018, developments across several key topics will determine the answer.

Environmentalists would prefer that everyone drank tap water -- but with consumers still clamoring for bottled beverages, water companies are trying to find ways to make their products more eco-friendly. Just Water uses bottles made from "green" plant-derived plastics, while other companies offer water in cardboard or easy-to-recycle aluminum packaging.

Canadian architect Michael Green wants to build a 35-story wooden skyscraper in Paris that would be carbon neutral. He and some partners have submitted the proposal as part of the Reinvent Paris competition, a revitalization project in the city. Green said constructing the building would highlight the advantages of wood in the construction of tall buildings

Construction is finished at the 33-story Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, a structure considered one of the world's greenest buildings. It was designed to use 50% less energy and 77% less water than a regular office building. The project used new materials techniques, requiring construction workers to understand the latest technology. "They get trained and they get retrained when new things come out," said Jack Shea, Allegheny County Labor Council, AFL-CIO president. 

Unregulated carbon pollution from aviation is the fastest-growing source of the greenhouse gas emissions driving global climate change. In fact, if the entire aviation sector were a country, it would be one of the top 10 carbon-polluting nations on the planet. The good news is that we now have a process in place to curb international aviation's skyrocketing emissions. For the first time ever, the United Nations' civil aviation body agreed last week to put a cap on the emissions for an international sector rather than a country. International aviation already accounts for over 2% of global carbon emissions. But this number will soar as demand for air travel continues to rises. In 2010, the aviation industry carried 2.4 billion passengers; in 2050, the number is forecast to rise to 16 billion.

Companies are increasingly seeing climate risks as a major bottom-line threat and viewing corporate sustainability as a must-have rather than an optional extra, writes Matt Timms. Finding effective environmental strategies and messaging remains a challenge, but a growing number of success stories are making it clear that CSR doesn't have to come at the expense of profitability. "[B]usinesses have a responsibility to acknowledge what many consider to be the defining challenge of our time," Timms argues.

Beth Stevens, senior VP of environmental affairs at Disney Worldwide Services, is in charge of making strides in the direction of sustainability. How does the iconic brand not only tell an engaging sustainability story but walk the talk? Disney's sustainability goals are serious. It aims to halve its emissions by 2020 from 2012 levels. It signed on to the White House American Business Act on Climate Pledge ahead of COP21 and the Paris Agreement. It even maintains an internal carbon price. Stevens sees all this as a natural expression of the company's culture.

A coalition of investors concerned about the lack of reported progress in mitigating the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing operations have submitted shareholder resolutions targeting organizations that received failing scores in a recently-released report. Read more: Fracturing and drilling companies "owe" investors disclosure - FierceEnergy http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/fracturing-and-drilling-companies-owe-investors-disclosure/2014-02-11#ixzz2tFdqgahc Subscribe at FierceEnergy

The North Face has expanded its Clothes The Loop recycling program to all of its retail and outlet stories in the US and has set a goal to recycle more than 100,000 pounds of apparel and footwear this year.

The largest landfill in the US shut it gates forever on 10/31/13. After 56 years of operation, the Puente Hills Landfill in southeastern Los Angeles County has collected around 130 million tons of waste since 1957 and is 40 stories high in some places, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

When it comes to selling products with an environmental benefit - or telling your corporate sustainability story well - words really do matter. Here at Shelton Group, we just completed our eighth annual Eco Pulse study of American consumers, and this year, we're offering a free special report that explores a topic critical to your communications strategy: the effectiveness of green jargon.

Seattle's six-story, 52,000-square-foot Bullitt Center has been deemed a "living building" and produced 60% more energy than it consumed last year. Constructed under the Living Building Challenge, the office building tries to show "what's possible today and to pave a path forward" in eco-friendly construction

A seawater desalination plant under construction near San Diego will be the nation's largest when complete

But this success story has been underscored by a tense struggle over water, which Dow needs to keep production afloat, and which is in short supply in Texas amid the state's debilitating drought and its water users' increasing thirst. When Dow Chemical, one of the largest manufacturers of chemicals and plastics in the world, announced a multibillion-dollar expansion on Texas' Gulf Coast last summer, Gov. Rick Perry had yet another example to add to his list of explosive economic growth on Texas soil.

From the use of antibiotics in farming to China's environmental tipping point - a look at the issues that could define the next ten years

Dell and actor Adrian Grenier have announced the "Legacy of Good" short documentary film contest, aimed at creating compelling stories to raise awareness around the circular economy movement and the role of technology in creating a better future.

We are on the cusp of a new growth era, one where growth is driven by the interaction between rapid technological innovation, sustainable infrastructure investment and increased resource productivity. Ambitious climate action across key economic systems-energy, cities, food and land use, water and industry-can lead to higher productivity, more resilient economies and greater social inclusion. It is the growth story of the 21st century.

Is the world's largest provider of cloud computing services falling down on its 2014 pledge to one day power all of its data centers entirely with renewable energy?

Convenience retailer 7-Eleven, citing a 2016 study which found that sustainably sourced coffee is recognized by almost half of Millennials as an important attribute when making their selection, is swapping the Colombian coffee now served at its stories for a new Rainforest Alliance Certified, single-origin Colombian coffee.

Timberland knows the value of products that can be called sustainable, says Margaret Morey-Reuner, director of strategic partnerships and business development. One challenge is ensuring proper sourcing of materials, which the company has tried to address through a third-party certification process.